Vehicle-top bow-holder.



Patented June 6,1911.

Zimmltur iIlilurssvs By 0 Am:

mryn 0., WASHINGTON, a. c

SHERMAN '1. ALLEN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE-T0]? BOW-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1911.

Application filed September 19, 1910. Serial No. 582,631.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SHERMAN T. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of lVayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vehicle-Top Bow-Holders, and declare the following to a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to vehicle top bow holders, and has for its object an improved device of this type by means of which the several bows of the vehicle top may be secured against rattling when the top is low ered, and properly spaced from one another, so that the weight of the upper bows will not press upon the lower bows.

In the drawings :Figure 1, is a side elevation of that part of the tonneau of the vehicle to which the top is attached, the top being lowered and the position of the bow holder with respect thereto being shown. Fig. 2, is a side elevation, with one of the side walls cut away, of one inner face of the bow-holding frame piece, with the various bow clips shown in engaging position with respect thereto. Fig. 8, is a front elevation of the clip-holding frame, looking into the longitudinal central aperture of the frame piece. Fig. 4, is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

A represents the tonneau of the vehicle, to a projecting bracket from the side of which is removably attached the inwardly extending branch B of the bow-holding frame G, a bolt being preferably passed through the aperture D and the corresponding apertures in the supporting bracket piece. As shown in Fig. 4, the inner faces of the side walls of the frame C are beveled or inclined within their outer end, although substantially parallel within their inner end. Extending at intervals across this aperture or troughed portion are anchorage pins E, and lying between these anchorage pins and the extreme bottom of the troughed portion of the frame is a locking member F, which engages principally in the straight-walled portion of the troughed part of the frame as shown particularly in Fig. 4. The outer (or, as shown in Fig. 2, right hand) edge of the locking member F is of such contour that there is left, when this member is in position, sufiicient space between it and the several pins E for the engagement of the tips G of clip pieces H over the pins E. These clip pieces are brought to this position by the lowering of the several bows J of the vehicle top, and any tendency on the part of the bows to vary, as they are lowered, from their usual and intended plane of travel is compensated for, as regards accurate fitting in of the noses G between the walls of the frame piece C, by the slanting or tipping of the side walls referred to above and ilustrated in Fig. 4. When the clips are in place, however, the locking dog K, which is otherwise in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, is swung to its full line position therein shown, and because of its pivot at the point L, and the engagement of its nose N with the corresponding shaped portion P at the top of the locking member F, swings the locking member downwardly and longitudinally with respect to the frame C, so that each shoulder M engages strongly against the outer edge of the adjacent nose G of one of the clip members H, and the nose 0 of the dog K engages correspondingly over. the top of the hooked portion of the upper clip H. The friction of the metal surfaces against one another is usually sufficient to hold the members in this position until intentionally released by the manual throwing back of the dog K. If further security is desired, a small spring or latch may be inserted in one side wall of the frame piece C in such a way as to engage in a suitably recessed portion of the dog K when that is swung to holding position.

What I claim is 1. In a vehicle top bow holder, in combination with a frame piece, anchorage pins engaging transversely thereof at intervals, a locking piece normally out of locking position with respect to said anchorage pins, a key member for moving the same to locking position, and a plurality of clip members carried by the bows of the vehicle top, adapted to engage said pins within the frame piece, and to be locked in such position by the movement of said locking piece thereagainst, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a plurality of vehicle bows, each provided with a laterally projecting portion intermediate its ends, a frame piece between the sides of which the ends of said projecting portions are adapted to engage when the bows are lowered, an-

chorage pins with which said projecting portions engage when in lowered position, and a locking piece adapted to be moved into engagement with said projecting portions While in such position, thereby locking them against unintended displacement from the frame piece, substantially as described.

3. A vehicle top bow holder, comprising a longitudinally recessed receiving frame provided with a plurality of transversely extending anchorage pieces, clip members carried on the several bows of a vehicle in position to engage the same when the bows are in lowered position, and a locking piece adapted to be forced against said clip members when the same are in engagement with said anchorage pieces, whereby the clip members are held from unintended displacement with respect to the frame and said anchorage pieces, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

SHERMAN T. ALLEN. WVitnesses:

HELEN ALLEN, WILLIAM M. SWAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

